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Cultural trail in Värmdö - Pilhamn on Ingarö.

Yesterday a new cultural trail opened in Värmdö municipality, on the island of Ingarö, called Kulturstig Pilhamn. So what was better than to go and visit it? It was a nice little walk through beautiful nature, with a large dose of history, from the Iron Age onwards. We also met two moose!

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New cultural trail in Värmdö

Creating cultural trails in the archipelago is a project that started in 2018 and will end on 1 June 2020. The project wants to show the connection between the archipelago's nature and its history. When we heard that a new cultural trail had been opened in Värmdö, we took the car for a little trip.

Kulturstig i Värmdö

Cultural trail in Värmdö - Kulturstig Pilhamn

Kulturstig Pilhamn has been developed by Ingarö hembygdsförening, Gustavsberg-Ingarö parish, Brunns fastighetsägarförening and Stockholms länshembygdsförbund with funding from the Swedish National Heritage Board and Värmdö municipality.

The trail runs along the Kolström fairway, from Ingarö church to Dyviken/Fladen. The entire 1.7 kilometre stretch is easy to walk and partially accessible. On the way you pass seven different stops with signs telling the history of the place. Follow us around!

Kulturstig i Värmdö

1. Ingarö parish centre

The cultural trail in Värmdö starts at the Ingarö parish centre, which grew during the late 18th century and until the middle of the 19th century. This was the island's centre with a church, parish house, bell farm, school, poorhouse and parish storehouse.

Kolström's bridge was built on the waterfront and in the vicinity there was a tavern, trading post and steamboat dock. It is interesting to note that they had a school here on Ingarö already in the 18th century, long before many other parts of the country.

Kulturstig i Värmdö - Ingarö sockencentrum

2. Ingarö church

Pilhamn's chapel was completed in 1792. The nearest church was on Värmdö, and as more and more people from all over the island wanted to visit the chapel, an application was made for a separate parish on Ingarö. The application was approved in 1825.

Ingarö kyrka

Right next to the church is a red bell tower built in 1871. The "big bell" from 1634 and the "little bell" from 1871 hang here. In the past, a very competent ringer was required to harmonise the ringing of the bells. Today they are powered by electricity and controlled by a remote control.

Kulturstig i Värmdö - Ingarö kyrka och klockstapel
Kulturstig i Värmdö

3. Kolström fairway

The Pilhamn cultural trail follows the Kolström watercourse along its entire length. Today you can't always see the water due to land elevation and reeds, but in the past the water level was 5 metres higher. This was an important trade route for a long time, with boats travelling between the outer archipelago and Stockholm carrying fish, salt and grain.

Farleden Kolström

4. Pilhamn Cultural Centre

The sweet little The bell tower (the red house) is the oldest building in Pilhamn. Right next to it is a house with a slightly different architecture, namely Ingarö Hembygsmuseum. The building served as a poorhouse from the mid-19th century and as a schoolhouse from 1873. It later housed a post office and telephone station before becoming a museum.

At Kulturplats Pilhamn you will also find Culture shop, which is a so-called rialada where grain used to be dried, threshed and stored. There is also The cultural garden, with a 19th century focus and a kitchen garden.

Kulturstig i Värmdö
The bell tower
Hembygdsmuseum
Ingarö local history museum

5. Troll Forest

The cultural trail in Värmdö then turns into a forest area. There are many deciduous trees and also a lot of dead wood, which is good because many plants, animals and fungi depend on dead or decaying wood to survive.

Are there any animals? Yes, we only had time to walk a few hundred metres into the forest before we were surprised by two of them. moose! If you looking carefully you can see one in the picture below ...

Älg

In this "Troll Forest" you will also find a lot of surprises. Lövhamra Naturförskola has created small nature rooms in the forest with opportunities for play, imagination and learning. A bit of fun to walk around here actually, even as an adult!

Insektsbo - kulturstig i Värmdö

6. Gamla Brunn - Lövhamra

The old village of Brunn in Lövhamra dates back to ancient times. An old map from 1670 shows that the farm Brunn was located near the place where the Lövhamra housing estate is located today.

Gamla brunn - Kulturstig i Värmdö

A cemetery on a nearby hill shows the even older history. There are 35 graves here, most of which date from the Late Iron Age (500 - 1100 A.D.) The graves contain artefacts that show that the people buried here were wealthy. Among other things, a neck ring with pendants in the form of thorn hammers has been found, dating from the Viking Age.

Lövhamra - kulturstig i Värmdö

7. Varvsholmen

The seventh and final stop along the Cultural Trail in Värmdö is Varvsholmen. In the past, before the land uplift, this was an island and the Brunn farm had its boat harbour here. In the 1920s, a boatyard was built here and the remains of a wrecked boat were found. At first it was thought that the boat was from the 11th century, but later tests showed that it was from the 18th or 19th century.

Kulturstig i Värmdö

After Varvsholmen you can continue a short walk along the water, before reaching a nice little beach. Then it's time to turn back.

Kulturstig i Värmdö
Strand - kulturstig i Värmdö

What did we think of this cultural trail in Värmdö?

Kulturstigen in Värmdö is definitely a nice little trip! We walk a lot in nature now, but we must say that it is fun to alternate with a little culture and history. The path is relatively well signposted but in one place (between numbers 4 and 5) we were unsure of the way and missed a sign. A tip is to take a photo of the map at the beginning, so you can take a look if you are unsure.

Peter och Helena - kulturstig i Värmdö

Facts about the Pilhamn Culture Trail - Culture Trail in Värmdö

  • Name: Cultural trail Pilhamn
  • Address: This cultural trail in Värmdö starts at Ingarö church, Ingarö kyrkväg, Ingarö.
  • Municipality: Värmdö
  • Length: 1.7 kilometres
  • Stretching: Along Farleden Kolström, from Ingarö Church to Dyviken/Fladen.
  • Places along the way: Ingarö Parish Centre, Ingarö Church and bell tower, the Kolström fairway, the Pilhamn cultural site with the Local History Museum, Klockaregården, Kulturladan, Kulturträdgården, Trollskogen, Gamla Brunn - Lövhamra Graveyard and Varvsholmen.
  • Accessibility: Easy to walk, partially accessible
  • Project: Part of the project "Cultural trails in the archipelago"
  • Opening: 25 April 2020
  • Inauguration: Official opening will take place later
  • Organisers: Ingarö hembygdsförening, Gustavsberg-Ingarö parish, Brunns fastighetsägarförening and Stockholms länshembygdsförbund.
  • Financiers: Swedish National Heritage Board and Värmdö municipality
  • Read more: About jogging tracks and hiking trails in Värmdö

Find the Pilhamn cultural trail

  • Car: Take Ingarövägen and turn left on Ingarö Kyrkväg. Parking is available at the entrance to Ingarö Church.
  • Bus: Ingarö buses stop at the Ingarö church stop
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